


I've got this feeling, so appealing, for us to get together and sing

by pearwaldorf



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 06:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20238253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pearwaldorf/pseuds/pearwaldorf
Summary: "In the background Crowley and Aziraphale met on the tops of buses, and in art galleries, and at concerts, compared notes, and smiled."





	I've got this feeling, so appealing, for us to get together and sing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amy/gifts).

> This is 1000% Amy's fault. She doesn't even go here!! (Not really, anyways.)
> 
> I would also apologize for earworms, but let's be honest. If I have to suffer you do too.

Upon reflection, it is fortunate that Mrs. Dowling doesn’t seem to much care who accompanies Warlock on outside excursions as long as Nanny is there to look after him. It makes it so much easier for her and Aziraphale to coordinate efforts not just around the future Antichrist’s upbringing, but the other otherworldly business they still have to take care of 1.

It’s much better than it could have been. The City is much more hospitable to a certain type of parent or caretaker these days, full of activities designed to encourage and stimulate not just young minds, but cultivate good feeling and potential new donors to the many worthy causes that require rich people’s money. And so Nanny takes Warlock to museums, libraries, and on one memorable occasion, an opera 2. If a dapper gentleman with white-blond hair and a frightfully outdated tartan bow tie happens to join their excursions, that’s nobody’s business but hers.

Today’s activity is a concert. The artist is of some renown, at least among the small world of singer-songwriters that cater exclusively to children. She recalls hearing some of these songs from decades back, and they are so wholesomely earwormy they must be the other Side’s work. It is incredibly difficult to concentrate on the fiddly, detailed list in front of her and Aziraphale, and it occurs to her trying to reconcile a month’s worth of blessings and temptations at a concert is not the wisest choice she’s ever made.

(At least Warlock looks like he’s having a good time, even if she’ll have to balance it out later with some rude playground songs about mutilating purple dinosaurs.)

Aziraphale makes a frustrated noise and throws down his pencil. “There’s no way we’re going to get through this here. Can’t we take the boy and go somewhere else?”

She looks at Aziraphale with an expression that makes him immediately regret his words. “He’s been looking forward to this for weeks. If you want to leave, I’m going to send him to Brother Francis and let him explain why he was inexplicably taken from something he was enjoying very much.”

“All right.” He sits back in his chair and pretends he’s not sulking. Despite himself, his fingers start tapping to the rhythm of the music. Nanny fusses with her gloves to hide a smile.

“I would have thought your side would build in, I don’t know, some sort of safeguard against this sort of thing affecting celestial ears,” she says. “This stuff wiggles its way into your brain and I don’t think it’s ever going to come out.”

Aziraphale looks at her strangely. “Do you mean to tell me this”--here he gestures towards the stage--”had nothing to do with your lot?”

It is true Nanny/Crowley’s affiliation with Hell is tenuous and resentful at the best of times. But there are some insinuations that are offensive enough one cannot help but be appalled by the mere suggestion. For her, even the possibility of demonic involvement in this… this disgustingly edifying venture is one of these. Suddenly she understands, just a little bit, why Aziraphale dislikes The Sound of Music so much.

“Think about what you know of ‘my’ 3 lot, angel. Do you think any of them would be able to come up with anything this irritatingly playful? The closest any of them have come to creative expression is smooth jazz 4.” They both shudder.

Aziraphale _hmms _in agreement. “You’re right, it is rather lighthearted for Hell. The problem is, it’s also too whimsical for Heaven.”

They stop talking for a little bit, letting the music wash over them. It’s so cheerful and absurd it really is quite difficult to resist, especially when Warlock comes over to Nanny and insists she dance with him. Before they realize it, the concert is over.

Warlock falls asleep on the bus back home, and she hoists him onto her lap. He makes a little noise and settles against the crook of her neck.

"I think we have time to work on what needs to be done, if you want," she says softly.

Aziraphale shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. "I think it can wait until later."

* * *

1 Neither Heaven nor Hell have much policy guidance dealing with what is, basically, an extended sabbatical from normal duties, even if they are work-related. So they both muddle through as best they can and strongly resent the unimaginative HR administrators on both sides. ↩

2 She’s not sure who would arrange for an all-ages matinee of Bluebeard, but she was torn between wanting to shake their hand and irritated that Warlock was frightened instead of fascinated by the sight of the wives coming out of the pool of blood. ↩

3 The air quotes were implied, but she made them anyways. ↩

4 The demon who came up with that got a ridiculously large commendation. Joke was on them though, because it was immediately integrated into Hell’s phone system. ↩


End file.
